You’ve spent countless hours designing your dream kitchen and picking out the perfect countertop.

Now everything is installed and you’re wondering how to keep it looking shiny and new forever. Depending on the material of your kitchen counter, some chemicals and compounds can have negative reactions, so it’s important to be mindful of what products you’re using for cleaning. There are also steps you can take to protect and seal your countertop to help extend its lifespan.

Granite & Marble

As it can be a significant investment in your kitchen, keeping your granite countertop in good shape is important. But with the messes from cooking and other food prep, it’s necessary to find products that will safely clean and protect your countertop. Acids, such as vinegar and citrus, should never be used to clean granite or marble, as they can etch the porous stone, causing dulling or discoloration.

Daily Cleaning:

When looking for a daily cleaner it’s important that your product does not include a polishing component as that can cause buildup and, overtime, cause the countertop to dull. Hot water and dish soap are recommended for sanitizing granite and marble, and the combo is gentle enough to use daily.

Polishing:

If your granite / marble starts to fade, it’s time to find a nice polishing product! Some polishes come as a stand-alone product, and others are combined with a cleaner. We suggest polishing your stone weekly which will also add a layer of protection between sealings.

Sealers:

To keep spills and other accidents from staining the surface of your granite, it’s important to add a sealant. Depending on the product, this may be something you only apply once or twice a year.

Butchers Block

Butcherblock tops are as beautiful as they are functional. While you enjoy the soft grain and subtle color variations of your top you also can use it as a true cutting surface. That said, keeping butcher block countertops in good condition requires a specific cleaning routine. The most important piece of maintaining your butcher block is to keep water from soaking into the wood.

Daily Cleaning:

We recommend using only gentle cleaning products for daily cleaning of your butcher block countertop. A mild dish soap mixed with warm water is a great option for cleaning up daily spills. 

Yearly Cleaning:

At least once a year you will need to oil your butcherblock. During this process you’ll remove all debris from the countertop and clean everything with a gentle cleaning solution (usually hot water and dishwashing soap). Next, you’ll sanitize the countertop and then finally reseal the surface with polyurethane to prevent moisture from entering the wood.

Icestone

Icestone is made from 100% recycled glass that is mixed with cement to create a highly durable, aesthetically beautiful and sustainable concrete surface.

Daily Cleaning:

Double check that your cleaning products are free of chlorine bleach, ammonia, acid and citrus scent. You’ll always want to promptly wipe up spills to ensure they don’t stain the countertops.

Yearly Cleaning:

Icestone is very dense but still porous, so it needs to be sealed annually with a high performance, water-based sealant.

Corian

When cared for properly, Corian surfaces will outlive the rest of a kitchen. A Corian surface that has been professionally fabricated and installed is completely sealed and non-porous, meaning it creates a durable barrier without having to be sealed.

Daily Cleaning:

Wiping up spills with a microfiber cloth and household kitchen spray will prevent discoloring and damage to the countertop. Ammonia-based cleaners are safe to use on this type of countertop. You’ll want to avoid using abrasive scrubbing pads, as they will cause scratches on the surface.

Yearly Cleaning:

To revitalize your countertop’s shine, you’ll need to polish the surface. To do this you can purchase a commercial countertop polish, and then buff out the polish to bring out the shiny new look!

Are you thinking about changing up the look of your kitchen with new counters? Here’s some guidance on materials as well as some example looks. Give us a call if you have any questions!